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Asked: 2024-09-24T10:16:16+05:30 In:

How can I determine the size of a file in Python? I’m looking for methods or functions that can help me achieve this.

I’m trying to figure out how to determine the size of a file in Python, and I could really use some help. It’s probably something super basic for a lot of you, but I’m just getting my feet wet with file handling in Python, and I’m feeling a bit lost.

Here’s the situation: I have a bunch of files that I need to sort through, and part of the process involves checking their sizes. I’ve heard different methods to do this, but I’m not really sure which one is the most efficient or the easiest. I know that you can check sizes in bytes, kilobytes, or even megabytes, but I don’t want to mess up any calculations when I’m switching between units.

I remember someone mentioning the `os` module, and that got me thinking. Is that the go-to way to get file sizes in Python? Are there any convenient functions in there that I can use to grab the size? Also, if I wanted to convert that size into something more user-friendly, like kilobytes or megabytes, what’s the best approach to handle that?

And then there’s the whole thing about error handling. What if the file doesn’t exist or the path is wrong? Should I wrap my code in a try-except block to catch any potential errors? That seems like a good practice, but I’m not entirely sure of the details on how to set that up.

I’ve also heard of using the `pathlib` module, which some people say is a more modern way to deal with file paths and stuff. Is it more practical than `os`, or should I stick with the latter for checking file sizes?

I guess what I’d love is if someone could share their go-to method or function for getting file sizes in Python. Maybe just jot down a snippet of code that does the trick? I’m all for learning from real examples, so throw anything my way! Thanks in advance for your help!

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    2 Answers

    1. To determine the size of a file in Python, you can use both the `os` module and the newer `pathlib` module. The `os` module has a well-known function `os.path.getsize()` which returns the size of a file in bytes. Here’s a simple example demonstrating its usage:

      import os

file_path = 'example.txt'  # Replace with your file path
try:
    size_bytes = os.path.getsize(file_path)
    print(f'Size: {size_bytes} bytes')
except FileNotFoundError:
    print('Error: File not found.')
except Exception as e:
    print(f'An error occurred: {e}')

      Alternatively, using the `pathlib` module can provide a more modern and object-oriented approach. You can create a `Path` object and then use the `.stat().st_size` attribute to get the file size. Here’s how you can do it:

      from pathlib import Path

file_path = Path('example.txt')  # Replace with your file path
try:
    size_bytes = file_path.stat().st_size
    print(f'Size: {size_bytes} bytes')
except FileNotFoundError:
    print('Error: File not found.')
except Exception as e:
    print(f'An error occurred: {e}')

      To convert the size into kilobytes (KB) or megabytes (MB), divide the byte value by 1024 for KB and then by 1024 again for MB. Error handling using try-except is indeed good practice to manage potential issues like missing files or incorrect paths.


    2. Determining File Size in Python

      To find the size of a file in Python, both the os module and the pathlib module can be really helpful. Here’s a quick rundown of how to do it with each method!

      Using the os module

      
import os

def get_file_size(file_path):
    try:
        size = os.path.getsize(file_path)  # Get size in bytes
        return size
    except FileNotFoundError:
        return "File not found!"  # Handle the error gracefully

      If you want to convert bytes into kilobytes or megabytes, you can do the following:

      
def convert_size(size_bytes):
    if size_bytes == 0:
        return "0B"
    size_name = ("B", "KB", "MB", "GB")
    i = int(log(size_bytes, 1024))
    p = round(size_bytes / (1024 ** i), 2)
    return f"{p} {size_name[i]}"

      Using pathlib

      
from pathlib import Path

def get_file_size_with_pathlib(file_path):
    try:
        file = Path(file_path)
        return file.stat().st_size  # File size in bytes
    except FileNotFoundError:
        return "File not found!"

      To use pathlib for size conversion, you can use the same convert_size function as above!

      Final Thoughts

      Both methods work well, but pathlib is considered more modern and user-friendly. It also makes dealing with paths easier in general. Error handling with a try-except block, as shown above, is definitely the way to go. It helps you catch any issues if the file path is wrong!

      Choose the method that feels most comfortable for you. Happy coding!


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